


Denial

by TheNewCancer



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comedy, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Romantic Comedy, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-03-06 10:32:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3131324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNewCancer/pseuds/TheNewCancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren is straight. He's liked girls for as long as he can remember. But one night, when a drunk man approaches him at the bar he works at and, erm... 'sexually provokes' him, he has to question what he once thought was true. Turns out the man is a regular at the bar, and Eren ends up seeing him frequently. Though he denies the possibility of blooming love, he finds himself staring. Daydreaming. Dumping beer on one of mystery man's dates. But hey, she totally wasn't right for him anyway. But what right does Eren have to determine a stranger's romantic compatibility? Unless maybe, just maybe... Eren secretly wishes to be... erm, 'sexually provoked' by him again?</p><p>But that's ridiculous! He's straight! Straighter than a ruler! Or maybe... just maybe, he's... he's... gay?! Sorry, folks. Sadly, our poor friend Eren... is in denial.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Once Upon a Beer

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my second story on archive. This one is a fandom I'm much, much more educated in. Attack on Titan. He'll yeah. 
> 
> So because these gaybies were on my mind today, I decided to write something for them. This one is pretty much the polar opposite of my other fanfic on this site, Dream of December. For one, I embrace my inner sailor and insert the word 'fuck' wherever my heart so desires it. And for two, it's fuckin' smuttastic. Which brings me to my additional non-archive warnings.
> 
> Caution: Excessive swearing, oodles of alcohol, intense partying, and considerably high amounts of sex scenes. As well as my earlier warning of rape/non-con, which honestly isn't rape since it's enjoyed by both of the men included (heh). Also, some of the girls in this story will be treated as objects, though I'm totally not okay with that in real life. 
> 
> Yes. There is an explicit scene in the first chapter. That's how awful I am. 
> 
> Anywhore, I hope you enjoy this sexy story about what I think would happen if Eren worked at a bar. Enjoy.

I sighed. This was torture.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I applied to work at The Nest, a locally owned bar within walking distance of my apartment. I mean, it had benefits. I got free drinks. I didn't have to pay for the bus. But there was one major downside.

The Friday night parties.

While during the day, The Nest was a calm, laid-back scene where mostly adults hung out, but every Friday night, there was a huge party where everyone who was anyone would sing and dance and drink their hearts out.

Sounds like fun, eh? Yeah. Not for a bartender.

I was forced to sit back and watch as my friends and former girlfriends lived it up on the dance floor. Sure, they'd come over and talk to me now and then. One time, I even made out with some chick my buddy Reiner had brought over right there on the counter. But my boss wasn't too thrilled, and I was barely let off with a warning. That is, after a lot of begging and groveling from me.

Long story short, I got to watch my former social status of "Party King" slowly downgrade to "some guy who used to get a lot of girls" right before my eyes as my title was passed to the next in line. Damn Jean and his flawless cheekbones. I barely stood a chance against him even when I still was Party King.

I sighed as I dried an empty beer glass and put it away, moving on to the next one with a huff. "This blows." I grumbled, rinsing and scrubbing it until the beer stains washed down the drain.

"You've said that, like, fifty times." Thomas, my coworker and fairly close friend, filled a glass with whatever the guy waiting at the bar had ordered. I pouted and let the cup I held sit upside down on the drying rack, losing motivation to manually dry it.

"Yeah but it especially does now. Did you see that chick who just walked in? She's, like, Meghan Fox with blonde highlights." I said, gesturing to the hottie I spoke of as she removed her jacket. Thomas whistled.

"Ooo, those high-waisted shorts are especially nice." He noted, and I grimaced.

"I think I'm actually going to cry." I sniffled. Thomas snorted and slid the full glass expertly across the surface of the bar, right into the thirsty patron's hand. "Personally I'd go for the blonde one who came in with her."

"Which one? There are three."

"The one in the high ponytail."

"With the crop top?"

"That's the one." Thomas confirmed.

I looked her up and down, and shrugged. "Eh. I don't like blondes."

"You're like the only person I know who doesn't." Thomas shook his head and laughed. I shrugged again. I just liked darker hair. And girls with thin eyes especially. Dark hair, thin eyes, and nice asses. I wasn't really a boob fan either, honestly.

Suddenly, a man stumbled gracefully (which was like he was stumbling but he looked good doing it) up to the counter and plopped down in the chair right in front of me. Ironically, he had thin grey eyes and dark, raven-colored hair (worn in an undercut and parted in the middle, just above his eyes), but of course I wasn't into guys. Although if I was, he'd be exactly my type. He was pretty attractive after all.

"I want another beer." The man said. I looked to Thomas, since he was already right beside the dispenser. "You heard the man." I said, and Thomas nodded. But the man held up his hand before Thomas could grab a glass, and pointed to me.

"No, I want you to get it for me." He said. I raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yeah. You." He spoke in a low, husky voice. I felt a bit uncomfortable on the spot like that, but I turned around to get him a glass anyway. Looking back, it was a pretty creepy request, but something about him made it... I don't know, alluring. Not like sexually alluring though. Because that's weird.

When I turned back around, I filled his glass and slid it across the bar to him, a trick every bartender should learn if they want to look cool. "You weren't looking at my ass, were you?" I smirked, leaning against the counter as the man took a sip. I wasn't an idiot, I could tell when people were looking. I mean, not to brag, but I did have a pretty nice ass. Countless girls had told me so. Even some guys. I was used to the staring.

"Maybe." He said, smiling a bit as he replaced his glass on the counter. I snorted. "Sorry man, but I'm not a fag. If you're lookin' for that kinda thing, you should try my buddy Thomas. He's single." I said, gesturing to Thomas with a slight head cock as I leaned back against the cabinets with my arms behind my head. Thomas narrowed his eyes at me.

"Fuck you, Eren. You know I'm not into dudes." He spat, as he aided another customer with their request. I laughed, but the man shook his head.

"I don't like blondes." He said bluntly, and I blinked. Huh. So I wasn't the only one.

"Well, I don't like men, so you're out of luck." I told him, and reached for the rag I had previously been cleaning with. The man shrugged. "Whatever. You're not worth my time anyway." He said. Then he chugged the rest of his beer, and walked away. Leaving me with another glass to clean and a look of pure shock on my face. I stared after him, eyebrows raised, and watched as he elbowed his way back into the crowd.

"Excuse me?" I said, though he couldn't hear me. Not worth his time? Ha! That was a riot. I was hot shit! A solid fucking ten! Hell, I was the fucking _Party King!_ If anything, he wouldn't be worth _my_ time! He'd be lucky to get in my pants. And he thought he was _better_ than me? Bullshit. Bullshit, I say!

Grumbling, I slammed his cup down on counter and ripped off my apron, tossing it behind me as I walked toward the swinging door dividing the 'employees only' area from the public.

"Eren, where are you going...?" Thomas called after me.

"I'm taking a piss!" I huffed, and beelined for the bathroom.

After my anger piss, I turned on the sink and examined myself in the mirror as I washed my hands.

I was pretty hot, that was for sure. I had tan skin and green eyes, two of the most attractive features a man could possess. Roundish cheeks, sloped nose. Was it my hair? No, shaggy hair was sexy. Right? Maybe I should cut it...

Once my hands were dry, I ran them through my soft brunette locks and sighed. I was overreacting. It's not like I actually cared. I mean, I'm straight. I wasn't gonna fuck the guy, so why was I so pissed off?

Maybe I just wasn't used to rejection. I mean, the last time I had actually been turned down was what, like ninth grade? Yeah, that was it.

...

Was it?

Before I could ponder more options, the door to the bathroom opened. I quickly turned the faucet off and tossed my used paper towel in the trash can, but as I turned to exit, I stopped dead in my tracks. It was _him_.

"Well. Funny we meet again so soon, eh?" The man said, and I smirked at him.

"What, change your mind? I hope you're not gonna beg me. I hate grovelers." I said, crossing my arms. He smiled and slid his hands into his pockets. "Nah, I don't grovel." He took a step closer. I stood my ground.

"I just take what I want." He continued forward, and my heart skipped a beat. Shit. Shitshitshit. 

"H-hey, hold on..." I back away, but I quickly hit the wall behind me. "Don't fuckin' touch me, fag..." I trailed off. He laughed and placed a hand on the wall, beside my head.

"See, that's why you're not worth my time. That filthy mouth of yours." He tilted my chin up with his finger, and while I should have used my filthy mouth more to get him off of me, I couldn't help getting pissed off again.

"Oh I'm sorry, is that a turn off?" I teased with a small smirk. _No. Stop, you'll regret this._

"Well I'm drunk and horny enough right now that it doesn't matter, but normally yes." He moved in a bit closer, and the finger on my chin became the hand on my jaw and the smell of roses wafted into my nose.

"You'd be surprised what this filthy mouth can do." _God, now you can't go back. You idiot. There's no way this can end well._

"Is that so?" He smiled and leaned in even closer. His nose brushed against mine. And I shouldn't have been, but I was excited. These were the moments I lived for, although usually my position was switched. But sexual tension was like my kryptonite. 

"Prove it." He whispered, and now our lips were almost touching. I looked up at him, but he was staring down at my mouth. I smiled. At this point, there was no way I could disappoint him. Public bathroom or otherwise.

The seconds our lips connected, my mind went into pleasure mode and I kissed him softly and slowly. As my tongue pushed against his, I could taste the beer on his tongue, and it was hot. I continued, pressing my chest against his and cupping his firm, defined jawline in my hands so I could pull him closer. He grunted, and slid his lazy fingers in to my hair.

I pulled back and turned him around, so now I was pinning him against the wall. I worked a lot better when I was in the dominant position, for obvious reasons. And though somewhere in my mind, reason was screaming for me to stop, once I was in pleasure mode, there was no stopping until whoever I was treating was satisfied.

"Not bad," Mystery man mumbled, placing his hands on my hips and pulling them against his. He was shorter than me, but stronger for sure. I smirked through his lips, and moved down to his neck. "Told ya." I said, biting his collar bone softly.

"But I've had better." He added. My eyes shot open, and I stopped for a second. This bastard...

"Though you have proven to be worth my time..." He said, and before I could react, we had flipped around again and now he was sucking on my neck. Pinning my wrists to the wall, nudging my crotch with his knee. I was so surprised that I couldn't stop myself from giving a pleasured gasp and clinging to him tightly. I quickly realized what I had done, however, and tried to push him away.

"Get off..." I panted, and now I could feel myself getting harder. This was bad. The way things were going now, I was going to get fucked by a stranger, and a man at that. But he was strong, and he held me firmly in place as he pinned both of my wrists above me with one hand.

"You're not going anywhere," He mumbled into my ear, sucking on my jaw and sliding his hand down to my crotch. I inhaled sharply as he squeezed, and though I tried to keep struggling, something inside me just wanted to stay still and let him continue. I fell limp beneath him.

"You little slut," he chuckled, nibbling on my earlobe. "You're giving up, just like that...?" I could feel tears brimming in my eyes, and I bit my lip to keep them from spilling onto my cheeks.

"Please... let me go... someone could see..." My voice was shaky, and I sounded like I meant it, but I don't think I really did. The man laughed.

"I think we both know that you want me to fuck you just as much as I want to." He whispered, and slid his hand into my pants. He wrapped his cool fingers around my dick, and starting squeezing. Rubbing. Pumping. I moaned.

"Fuck..." I gasped, and he sped up. Moving quickly with such a firm grip that after a while I couldn't help rocking my hips forward into his grasp. He continued sucking on my jaw, and I tilted my head back and grit my teeth to keep my voice down.

"Ah-shit, I'm g-gonna... nng, hah... you're-nn, making me... a-ahh...!" And then it was over, and I'd lost. I came into his hand, and sighed with dazed pleasure as my eyes fluttered closed. My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath. I could feel how hot my cheeks were, the beads of sweat on my face, the fading buzz in my crotch. But most of all the shame, the pure disgust I had with myself, because I knew how much I'd enjoyed it.

The man smiled at me and pulled his hand out if my pants, licked his fingers. "You've got such a pretty voice, it's a shame you use it for such filthy language. Right there I thought I was actually getting turned on." He said, and released my wrists. I immediately sank to my knees, partly in defeat, and partly because my legs were too weak to stand.

"You bastard... you're telling me... that you're not even half hard?" I was angry again, but I was too wiped to do anything about it. After all that, he didn't even find me sexy enough to get off to? What a dick.

"Nah. It's a little thing called self control." He kneeled and straightened my uniform for me, and I was still too weak to move.

He kissed my forehead. "I'll lock the door for you so you can catch your breath and wash up in peace. Thanks for the temporary companionship, I'll be off now." He smiled, and then he washed his hands and exited the bathroom, leaving me alone to reflect on the massive mistake that I had just made, the one that completely and effortlessly ruined my life.


	2. Be Warned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the kudos! I thought I did that last chapter horribly but I guess it was good lol.
> 
> Also I may or may not have written this in religion class. Sorry jesus.
> 
> Enjoy~

"Hey, welcome back." Armin smiled at me from behind his book as I entered our small apartment. I groaned, dropped my stuff by the door, and flopped on the mattress in the corner. We had been living together for a little over a year now, and only recently had I taken the incentive to stop being a freeloader and start being responsible. Until I'd gotten my job three weeks ago, Armin paid for everything. He worked as an editor at some company who knows where, I had never really bothered to learn any further than that. Basically, he was responsible and I was a useless jerk who just hung around for the food.

It was small, but it was really all we needed. We slept in the same bed, which was pretty gay, but we (or he, rather) couldn't afford more than a single blow up mattress in the corner of the single-room apartment. We had a small kitchen, and a computer desk (without a chair), plus an old red recliner (which belonged to Armin's grandpa before the poor guy passed) and a couch in front of the TV. The bathroom was in the corner beside the bed. It was shabby, but hey, at least we weren't homeless.

"I'm angry." I said as I sunk into the flabby mattress face-down. Armin snorted from the chair in the corner. "You're always angry."

"Yeah but now I'm really angry."

"What happened, oh angry one?"

"I can't tell you that, oh girly one." I grumbled. Armin was outwardly gay. Like, and I hate to quote Mean Girls, but almost too gay to function. He was insanely smart, too. It was amusing, but if he wasn't my best friend I wouldn't be able to survive five minutes with him without feeling inferior. He's, like, a freaking genius.

"Is it about that friday night party thing?" He asked, flipping a page in his book. I sighed. "Indirectly."

"Did you get rejected?"

"Not quite." I of course didn't want to tell him what happened, but I found myself honestly answering his questions.

"One night stand?"

I groaned. He was pretty close with that one. "No."

"I think yes."

"You think wrong." I rolled over on my side and pulled my knees up to my chest. "Some bitch was totally flirting with me at the bar so I gave her a free beer and then she dances her way back over to that fucker Jean like I didn't even exist anymore. That's what happened." I lied. Armin narrowed his big blue eyes at me over the top of his book suspiciously, but then he shrugged and continued reading. "Alright. Want a jolly rancher?"

"Yes."

"What flavor?"

"What flavor do you think? Toss me a fuckin' green apple." I said, sitting up to catch it, and laying back down once I had popped it in my mouth and discarded the wrapper on the floor beside me.

"Pick that up. No littering." Armin said the second I had gotten comfortable, and I groaned dramatically and stood to toss the wrapper in the garbage can in the bathroom.

Upon flopping down on the mattress once again, I let out a loud sigh and let my eyes slowly flutter closed. I had forgotten a lot of things in my life (mostly alcohol-induced amnesia), but I couldn't forget the image of that man looking down at me with his... beautiful... no, god, not beautiful... _clever_ little smile of his. I could still feel his hands on me, could still taste his breath. Could still smell the faint essence of roses.

 _STOP RIGHT THERE_. I shivered, and slammed my face into my pillow. Although I realize it must have looked insane, because Armin quickly jumped in with a cheeky comment.

"What, war flashbacks?" He said without looking up from his book. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Oh, stuff it, Goldilocks."

"It's not in my programming, Rage Muffin."

"Nerd."

"Manwhore."

"Tch," I rolled over so my back faced him and forcefully yanked the covers over myself, swishing my jolly rancher irritably around my mouth. Armin and I exchanged insults like this on a regular basis. Though it wasn't until about our sophomore years in high school that he learned how to out do me when it came to witty remarks. There wasn't a single human on the planet who could withstand the wrath of Armin Arlert's comebacks. He was a ruthless little faggot.

"Don't fall asleep with that in your mouth, you'll choke." He advised, and I ignored him. I was too tired and pissed off and mentally scarred to be parented. I just needed to sleep, and I would wake up the next day and pretend like nothing ever happened, like that man didn't exist. Like I hadn't just almost lost my homosexual virginity.

Except that didn't happen. Because I was going to forget it.

* * *

I woke up with morning wood. I couldn't remember what I'd dreamed about, and frankly I was scared to. I told myself that it was the Indian stripper dream (which I'd had countless times before) and disregarded it.

I tried to sit up, but like usual, Armin's spaghetti arms had latched onto my mid-section and his small feminine face was buried in my stomach. As soon as I moved, he held on tighter and gave an adorably sexual moan.

"Shhh... five more minutes... in my mind you're Dave Franco." He mumbled, nuzzling my side. I thought about it, check the clock, and sighed.

"I have to go to work, weirdo." I told him, moving to pry his hands off of my waist. After years and years of sleepovers, I had gotten used to Armin's... _habit_. He almost always wound up snuggling with whoever he was sleeping with. It was weird. I used to force him to sleep in a different bed then me when we were younger, but now I just kind of let him. Like I said, he was a ruthless little faggot. Especially when he didn't get what he wanted.

"What time is it...?"

"It's like almost one in the afternoon, dude." Armin only worked on weekdays.

"What time to do you have to work on saturdays...?"

"One-thirty."

"Ugggghhhh..." He groaned, releasing me reluctantly. "Fine. But bring me starbursts when you come back." He said, rolling over and balling his blankets up into a fairly human-like shape, probably so he could continue cuddling with Dave Franco. I stood and waddled over to the bathroom to take care of my little... issue, and the proceeded to wash up and dress myself for work.

After dressing in a pair of black slacks and an old blue sweatshirt (no need for a shirt, I'd have to put on my uniform button-up once I got there anyway), I made the short commute to The Nest. All memories of Mystery Man had shifted to the back of my mind, so I was in a pretty good mood. Kind of. Eh.

"Morning." Sasha greeted me as I entered, and I gave her a small nod. "Morning... where's Thomas?"

"His sister's wedding is today, so I'm covering his shift." She clarified. Usually Sasha worked the earlier shifts with Connie, while me and Thomas took the later ones.

Sasha tossed me the key to the back room, and I used it to unlock and open the door. I quickly traded my sweatshirt for the white button-up, black vest, and red bow tie. I was already wearing the black slacks, so all that was left was the apron, which I snagged off its wall hook on my way back out of the room.

"I hear the party last night was wilder than usual." Sasha said as she mixed a drink. I sighed and shook my head before memories of Mystery Man returned to me. "It was awful. That dumb Jean Kirschtein was stealing all my girls. You know the chick Mina? The one who totally had a thing for me a week ago?"

"Not really, but I'll pretend that I do. And could you reset the ice machine? Pixis still hasn't called a guy to fix it."

"That little leech... it's like he's purposely going for my leftovers." I grumbled, hopping over the counter and crouching beside the shitty ice machine so I could unplug it.

"I hate how you guys always talk like that." Sasha said as I leaned back and swung the cord around a couple times. "You talk about girls like they're just sex toys. We have feelings too, you know." She informed me.

"Only the ones with dignity." I said, plugging the machine back in and giving it a little kick. "Once they show up in slutty clothes, they're practically handing themselves out on a silver platter."

Sasha sighed. "See, that _sounds_ reasonable, but it's really not."

"Yo, Potato Girl." Before I could stand up again, an aggravatingly familiar voice rang out through the quiet bar and the bell at the door rang. I looked up at Sasha, and she rolled her eyes and signaled for me to stay low.

"What do you want, Horseface?"

"I'm lookin' for Jaeger. Hear he left under mysterious circumstances last night." Shit, that just figures.

"He hasn't come in yet. Do you have to patronize me so early in the morning?"

"It's one thirty."

"Yes, but judging by those disgusting bags under your eyes, you probably woke up half an hour ago, have a major hangover, and can recall nothing regarding the events of last night's party." Sasha was pretty good at quick jabs to the confidence, too.

I snickered at Sasha's comment, and stood. "I'm sorry, I just gotta see how bad you look." I said, looking Jean up and down with a smirk. He did look awful. His flawless cheekbones paled in comparison to the massive bags under his thin brown eyes and his messy, unbrushed dusty brunette hair. I wasn't surprised, Jean wasn't exactly conservative when it came to alcohol. He was a pretty irresponsible drinker.

"Shut up, Jaeger. You're not really in a place to be throwing insults." He spat, leaning against the bar. I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"That Mina chick? Yeah, she wouldn't give up on you. I don't know why, because you're such a little bitch, but she was staring at you, like, all night." He said. My face went pale. Did she...? No, she couldn't have. That's ridiculous. There's no way she could possibly know what that guy did to me... no one saw... right?

"What did she see?" I asked, trying my best to keep my composure.

"She said she saw some guy try to hit on you, and then follow you into the bathroom. And then come out again before you did, locking the door behind him." Fucking Mina. I swear to god I was gonna fucking strangle that bitch.

"That doesn't mean anything. I don't even know who you're talking about." I told him, but he was grinning at me.

"No, I don't think you quite understand, Jaeger. She also told everyone exactly who the guy was."

"And exactly who is he?"

"His name is Levi." He said, like I was supposed to know who that was and be really surprised about it.

"OMG!" I gasped sarcastically, hands on my cheeks, and Jean frowned. "It's not funny, Jaeger. Do you know who he is?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have said 'OMG.'"

"Of course you don't, you're a loser now." Jean scoffed. He took a seat now, in front of me. "Nobody really knows who he is, actually. Most of what I know about him is all rumors, but he's new around here."

"So?"

"So, he just got in town last week, and he's already been down your 'to-do' list twice over." Jean said. I narrowed my eyes at him. That fag? No way. I mean sure, he was pretty hot, but he was old too. There's no way he could've gotten that many teenage girls to sleep with him.

Well... he somehow convinced me... and I'm a teenage guy...

Wait, no. That never happened. I forgot it, remember?

"And people say he gets... _queer_ when he's drunk. Like he swings both ways under the influence of alcohol. So seeing him follow you into a bathroom and then lock the door on his way out is a bit... concerning." Jean continued. I held his gaze skeptically.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, crossing my arms and shifting my weight to my left hip. He sighed, looked around, and leaned forward.

"Look man, I know we don't exactly get along, but I wouldn't damn even my worst enemy to a situation like this." He lowered his voice and placed a hand on my shoulder. I pulled away, but something in the tone of his voice made me feel like I should just go along with it.

"People talk, dude. They're saying that he raped you, or even worse, that you went along with it. All I'm saying is watch how you hold yourself, because everyone else is watching you too." He gave me a shoulder pat and stood, exiting the bar. I stared after him. It's amazing how accurate rumors could be. Luckily, they were rumors, so they were easy enough to deny, but I knew that I couldn't let them float around too long. I knew what I had to do.

The Party King was back, bitches.


	3. The Return of the Party King (Operation Doesn't Go to Plan...?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this chapter will seem pointless at first. But I assure you, it becomes very important later on. And yes, I may or may not be trying to shove every single last one of my OTPs into this story, but it will primarily focus on Ereri. Be patient, children. Our beloved Levi will return. He will come again in glory for the booty.
> 
> Ha I'm awful I made a bible reference about Levi wanting Eren's ass ha.
> 
> I need Jesus.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

The best part about that night was the second I walked in the door.

All eyes on me, the way it used to be. Except tonight, they weren't admiring me. They were curious. Skeptical. Critical perhaps. But I didn't care. As long as they were thinking about me.

"Hey, Krista! Happy birthday!" I smiled as I walked up to the prettiest girl ever given birth to ever. But she was a blonde with big blue eyes, literally the opposite of my dream girl, so it was more like I acknowledged her beauty rather than marveled at it like all the other hopeless horny perverts in the room.

Krista's eyes lit up at the sight of me, and she temporarily abandoned her conversation with Reiner to jump into my arms. "Eren! Oh, I was worried you wouldn't make it!" If she was as shocked as everyone else, she didn't show it. She was a high school friend - really, all the big names in town were. Anyone who could claim to be a Shinganshina Prep alumni earned instant social credits. The 'It' Crowd was composed almost entirely of them, besides a few strays who had good connections and rich fathers.

"You've lost faith in me. Have I ever missed your birthday?" I said with a confident smirk as I gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek - a daring move, since Reiner, who was head over heels for the chick and could probably crush me with his pinkie finger, was standing right beside us - and placed her gently back on the ground. I kept my arm around her, however, as a bit of leverage to really get my plan rolling.

"Eren," Reiner smiled and gave me a firm pat on the back. A little too firm, actually. I almost fell over. "Long time since I've seen you in the party scene."

"What can I say? I just can't keep myself away." I laughed. Loud music was playing in the background, so the staring was less prominent, but I could still feel eyes on me. I liked it, I really did, but somewhere in the room I was getting weird vibes.

"Hey, Jaeger!" Suddenly, Jean appeared, and somehow managed to slip in between me and Krista without using force. "Welcome back, Rage Muffin!" - and yes, Jean did steal that nickname from Armin - "I was actually starting to miss you."

"You guys talk like I'm a war veteran." I laughed, the words Jean had said to me just a few days before resurfacing in my mind. I quickly dismissed them, however, and wormed my way out from under Jean's arm.

"Welcome back to the front lines, soldier." Reiner raised his drink to me with a smile, and I gave him a two-fingered salute. "I'm gonna go get a beer. Tell me if you spot any hotties." I said, even though I'd already set my sights on someone.

"Mina's here, if that's what you mean." He said. I faked gagging. "Eww, God. Don't even joke about that, dude. You'll ruin my appetite."

Reiner laughed. "Sorry, sorry. My bad."

At the bar, I found Bertholdt. Bertholdt was a tall fellow, with shortish dark hair and droopy puppy dog eyes. He was the silent, sensitive type, which of course brought him more than his fair share of chicks. But he wasn't into that stuff. He was too busy babysitting Reiner to focus on his own love life.

"Hey, Bertles!" I clapped him on the back as I slid into the seat beside him. He looked up, startled, but gave a kind smile once he recognized me.

"Eren...! Haven't seen you in a while." He said, setting his glass of water down on the bar. I flagged down the waitress, a pretty redhead, and smiled at her.

"Can I get a Bud Light, pretty please?" I said, turning the charm up to fifty percent. She smiled back, looking me up and down as she polished a glass.

"Well if you ask that politely, I couldn't possibly decline." From the little glimmer in her eye, I could tell the charm had worked. She was obviously interested, which meant that if I played my cards right, I could get a couple free beers.

"Looks like you still got it." Bertholdt chuckled as she sashayed over to grant my request. I shrugged, but couldn't hide a smirk. "It's a natural thing, my friend."

"Jaeger, my man!" Another familiar voice shouted over the loud music, and then an arm slung itself over my shoulder. I turned to see Connie, cheeks drunkenly flushed, tie undone and hanging around his neck, beer in hand.

"Hey, Baldy!" I laughed, took the beer the redheaded waitress had dropped off, and took a sip. Connie hiccupped. "The fugg'er you doin' here, man? Thought you were done with the parties n'shit...?" He was so hammered he couldn't even talk right. It was hilarious.

"I was." I told him after I'd swallowed a swig. "I wanted to focus on supporting my friend, but I heard a couple ridiculous rumors spreading and came here to set them straight."

"How're ye gonna do that?" Connie asked. I smiled, looking at both him and Bertholdt before giving my answer.

"By banging the birthday girl." I said. They both gasped, and stared at me like I was mad man.

"Dude, you know Reiner's never gonna let that happen." Bertholdt said, shaking his head and smiling.

"Yer fuggin' crazy, man! I love it!" Connie laughed hysterically. I shed the leather jacket I was wearing, and tossed it over Connie's head.

"Speaking of which, I believe it's time to put my plan in action." I said as I caught sight of Krista wandering over to the DJ's table by herself. Slicing through the crowd with expert precision and leaving my two friends in the dust, I was able to catch her just as she turned around to return to her friends.

"Oh, Eren!" She giggled, stumbling into my arms with a ditzy smile. It made my chest tighten a bit. Even when she was bat shit drunk, she was still unbearably adorable.

"Hey, birthday girl. Requesting a song?"

"Stay the Night, by Zedd! I know it's kind of old, but it's my favorite!" She said, pulling my arms around her waist and swaying with the music. I swayed with her.

"That's the one with the chick from Paramore, right?"

"Yeah, Hayley Williams!" She said, twirling around and leaning back against my chest, moving her hips back and forth. I held her hand above her head with one hand as she danced, and my beer out of reach with the other.

"I didn't know you could move like that!" I shouted over the sudden bass drop. She shrugged. "I don't normally get drunk at parties... or dance... or do much of anything really...!" She giggled cutely. I smiled.

"Well it is your birthday. Do what you want, Blondie!" I said as the song ended. Shortly after, she squealed, as Hayley Williams's voice rang throughout the interior of the club.

"Ohmygosh, they're playing it!" She said, dragging me over to the friend group she was most likely returning to when I ran into her. Ymir, Mina (eww), Sasha, Hannah, Hitch (all but Hitch were friends from high school. Hitch was one of the strays with good connections and rich fathers that I mentioned earlier), and Jean (always the womanizer) all stood in a circle, and the girls all squealed - that is, except for Ymir. She wasn't much of a squealer - at the sight of Krista bouncing over to them and shouting the lyrics at the top of her lungs.

"Don't dull the sparkle in your eyes!" They all screamed together. Even Jean knew the words. I mean, I did too, but I had more dignity.

"Come on, Eren!" Krista shook my arm after a couple more lines, and I shook my head, "I don't sing." I told her.

"Don't be a party pooper, Eren, sing the white girl song!" Jean said, nudging my elbow. I laughed. "Yeah, no thanks."

* * *

 "'CAUSE BABY YOURE A FIIIIIREWORK!" What can I say? A few beers later, I couldn't possibly resist Katy Perry.

"COME ON, SHOW 'EM WHAAAAAT YOU'RE WORTH!" By now, the circle had shifted so that I had both Mina and Krista on my arm, which, being as drunk as I was, I was perfectly okay with.

"How can you even hit those notes?" Mina laughed, and I shrugged. "Magic!" I replied, earning a giggle from both girls.

"Ereeeen you're such a little biiiitch...! How do you even _knoooow_ Katy Perryyy?" Jean laughed as Sasha and Hitch hung off his own arms, laughing and shouting the words.

"You were killing that Ariana Grande song earlier, man!" I countered

"I got 99 problems..." He slurred, taking a swig over top of Sasha's head. "And Eren Jaeger, you are all of them."

Laughing, I tightened my grip on Krista's waist as she staggered sideways. Suddenly, though, she pulled my collar down so she could whisper in my ear.

"Eren... there's a room in the back... come with me...?" She said, her breath hot on my jaw. I grinned. Phase 1, success. Commencing phase 2.

"You sure you don't wanna wait until the end of this song, Blondie?"

"Hurry up..." She tried to drag me away, but Mina held tight.

"Where are you goiiiiing?" Mina whined, and I shook her off. "Birthday girl needs my help." I told her.

The room she spoke of was small, lit by the orange glow of lights shining up from behind the white couch in the center of the farthest wall from the door. It seemed to have been specifically prepared for this occasion, though I'm surprised she actually chose me. I could've sworn that Krista had a thing for either Armin or Reiner. I say this because in school she was obviously head over heels for the endlessly kind and endlessly smart Armin Arlert, but since she hadn't seen him in a while I had expected her to shift her sights to relatively kind and endlessly muscular Reiner Braun.

"This is nice." I noted, but Krista wasn't in the mood for small talk. "Yeah, whatever." She tugged me down to the couch by my collar, tangling her fingers in my hair and pulling me on top of her. I mean, I wasn't complaining, but something felt... off.

She forcefully yanked my button-up open, exposing my chest as I went to work on the little black dress she was wearing. She hastily shrugged the straps off as I unzipped her, and backed out of it to reveal a dark purple lace bra and matching underwear. It was hot.

But something was still off.

Krista pulled me back in to continue, but I was a bit less enthusiastic about it now. She definitely looked hot, that was for sure. But this wasn't the Krista I knew. And for whatever reason, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about me, too. That no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn't... _in the mood._

"Krista..." I mumbled through the softness of her thin cherry lips, but she ignored me. That's when I knew something was up.

"Krista." I repeated, this time louder. I pulled my head away, separating us, and looked her in the eye. But I was shocked to see that she was squeezing them shut, and there were tears in them. She was crying.

Oh, come on. I couldn't have been that bad.

"Eren, what's wrong with me...?" She sniffled, covering her mouth with her hand. I sat up, and she sat with me, scooting further back into the couch and curling up into a ball. And before I say anything else, I can assure you that I was extremely and utterly confused. Krista had never done anything like this before. I had no idea what the fuck was going on.

"Umm... should I answer that or...?" I trailed off, scratching the back of my head. Krista sobbed into her hand.

"No matter how hard I try, I just... I just can't find you attractive...!" She bawled. I frowned. She could have at least put it nicely.

"Gee, thanks."

"No, no... it's not you, it's just..." She sniffled, looking away. "Eren, I think I might be..." She looked back up at me, and then back at the floor.

"A... _lesbian_...!" She choked out, just barely audible over the muffled party music coming from outside the room.

Oh. My. _God_.

"Umm..."

"Eren, I'm in love with Ymir!" She continued, and I was still hanging onto the word 'lesbian.' My brain was working slower than usual, but once I processed the word 'Ymir,' I knew exactly what was going on.

"I don't know what happened to me, Eren!" Krista continued, regardless of whether I'd caught up or not. "I thought..." She sniffled. "I thought that maybe if I did it with a guy, then I'd forget all about Ymir and everything would be fine, but... but this just doesn't feel right and I can't stop thinking about her!"

I sighed. So she was just using me. Although, I had no reason to complain, since I had been originally planning to use her anyway.

"Look, Krista, it's okay that you're... erm, into boobs now..." I tried, but that just made it worse. She cried harder. I sighed. So much for banging the birthday girl.

Yeah, the road back to the top was gonna be a long one.


	4. Close Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorryyyyyyyy everything suuuuuuucks.... ugh. 
> 
> After next chapter, I'll be combining this and the past two chapters into one. I think. It'll be really long, but it doesn't really make sense with those two just on their own. So be prepared.
> 
> Levi returns in this chapter. And everyone is OOC. Explanations later. This is my story. Not yours. Mine.
> 
> Also, my keyboard is being a dick and the 'm' key refuses to work. I always type lightly, but the only way I can use the letter 'm' is if I slam it down like a fuckin hammer or somethin. It's really bothering me.
> 
> So if you find any floating y's, just assume the word is 'my' and move on. Sae with any other words. *wink*
> 
> Yes. That 'sae' was on purpose. I'm not that uch of a clusy editor. uahahaha.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

Oh God. Please tell me this isn't seriously the situation I'm in. Please. Please?

Why, fate? Do you have to be a complete total jerk? Come on, man. Just when I was on the road to recovery, too.

Remember that guy from the other night? The one I thought I could just forget? Throw behind me like dust in the wind? Yeah. Well, I found him again.

"Eren, your cup is overflowing." Sasha warned me, nodding to the coffee cup I had been filling, and I looked down to see that it was in fact over capacity. I shook my head, quickly dumping the excess down the drain, and quickly wiped the sides.

"Sasha, who is that guy?" I whispered, as I joined her by the pumping station to add two pumps of caramel and one pump of vanilla. She raised an eyebrow at me, offset by my odd behavior. "You mean Mr. Rivaille?"

"Is that his name?" I could've sworn Jean said Levi. Well, anyway, Mr. Rivaille - if that even was his name - was sitting at the end of the bar, smugly reading a newspaper. He looked perfectly normal. But I knew better. He was a dick. A selfish, rapist, perverted faggot. Of course, I couldn't tell anyone how I knew that.

"It's the name he puts on his tabs. He's here, like, every day." Sasha told me, adding a pump of raspberry to whatever beverage she held. I swallowed and glanced at him over my shoulder. He flipped a page in his newspaper. He was wearing glasses today. They were kind of....

Nonono, don't even think it. He was not attractive. He was NOT attractive.

Oh God, he was attractive.

"I've never seen him here." I said, resisting the urge to pound myself in the forehead in order to rid my self of involuntary thoughts.

Sasha sighed. "Because you've never worked the morning shift. He likes the coffee, not the beer." The Nest was a cafe in the mornings, and a bar after 1:00. I had switched to the morning shift with Sasha, so that I could make more parties in the afternoon and at night. To my luck, Connie had started taking classes in the morning, so it was more convenient for him to switch with me for the afternoon shift anyway. But if this Rivaille/Levi guy was a regular in the mornings, I might've had to switch back. I couldn't work with this guy staring at my butt the whole time.

"I beg to differ..." I mumbled, slapping a top on my cup and handing it to her. "Here. Bring him this coffee."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to." I had already risked being recognized by taking his order. Luckily, he had refrained from looking up from his newspaper, and I had cleverly disguised my voice, so he didn't notice me. But luck never lasted very long for me.

"Stop being a whiney baby and go bring the nice man his coffee." Sasha said, mixing the drink she held. I shook my head, holding the cup further out to her.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like him."

"Why not?"

"... I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Stop saying 'why not' and bring the dude his coffee!" I whispered furiously, nudging her elbow with mine. She rolled her eyes.

"You're being ridiculous."

"You don't understand, I can't go over there."

"I don't care, Eren." She sighed. "Just bring the guy his coffee and be done with it. It's twenty seconds of your life." She turned away to go get whipped cream for her own cup, and I sighed. I crossed my fingers, praying that whatever story he was ready was interesting enough to hold his attention long enough for me to get in and out again.

"Here." I said, deepening my voice as I set the cup down on the counter in front of him. Levi/Rivaille looked up at me, and I froze. Fuck.

He stared at me for what felt like forever. I stared back, growing more and more nervous by the second. Though he continued to stare with an unamused expression, it felt like he was staring right into my very soul. I was sweating a little, even. I tried to keep my cool, but the tension between us was too much to handle. I had to get out of there. I had to... I-I... had to...

"Thanks." Levi/Rivaille said, monotonous, as he took his coffee and looked back down at his newspaper as if he didn't know me. It was like a machete to my ego.

"Thanks?" I couldn't stop myself. This guy fucking raped me, and now he pretends like he doesn't recognize me? There was no way I'd let him get away with it.

Wait. Wasn't I trying /not/ to get noticed? I should've been happy that he didn't recognize me. Right? Right?

"Yes. It's an expression of my gratitude." Levi/Rivialle said, without looking up from whatever he was reading. I frowned. "No kidding."

"Do you have a problem you'd like to discuss?" He looked up at me over his glasses. I swallowed. The answer was yes, I had a problem, but no, I would not like to discuss it.

"No." I said finally, after a bit of thought. He looked me up and down.

"Then if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to enjoy my morning without any further harassment." He said. I opened my mouth to respond, but soon realized that I had nothing more to say. What was there? Hey, I want an apology for that time you forced a hand job on me?

"Tch." I rolled my eyes and pivoted quickly on my heel, marching back to my station to punch his order into the cash register.

After a while, I returned to him with the check. "Will that be all, sir?" I spat, crossing my arms. He glared up at me, closing his newspaper slowly. "Yes. That will be all."

"Here." I dropped the check in front of him. He opened it, slid in a twenty dollar bill, and handed it back to me without once breaking eye contact. It was a bit unsettling, but I was too pissed to care.

"Keep the change." He said, and I could tell he was barely able to restrain from lashing out at me. It was really satisfying, but I also felt a bit scared. He may have been short, but I remembered that he was strong enough to hold me in place despite my squirming.

"What, a tip?" I smirked. He scoffed. "With this shitty service? Don't make me laugh." He said, turning to leave with his newspaper under his arm and his coffee in hand. And I was so close to letting him just walk out, but then he said it. He opened the door, and smiled at me over his shoulder.

"Brat." And with that, I snapped.

"Eren!" Sasha shouted after me as I hopped the counter and stormed out after him. I didn't care that everyone in the cafe must've been watching me, I just knew that I needed to follow that man so I could show him not to make a fool of me.

I looked around upon exiting, and caught sight of his peacoat and red scarf turning a corner. I sped after him, ignoring the cold in my rage and following him - surprise, surprise - into an alley. No one was around. Which I should've been put off by, since he could murder me and no one would know, but I was thinking more along the lines of how I could kick the shit out of him without any witnesses. (At the time, I had no idea that this guy could crush Reiner with his hands tied behind his back.)

"You're a real dick." I told him as he turned back around to face me, his mouth hidden by his scarf. "And I've known quite a lot of dicks in my life, but you sir have just soared to the top of that list."

"I'm sorry, have I done something in a previous life to deserve such a demeaning title?" He said, removing his glasses so he could clean them.

"You're kidding. You don't remember?" I clenched my fists to try and keep my temper.

"I have no idea who you are." He said, placing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. I grit my teeth.

"Where were you last Friday night?"

"I believe I was at a party, but I was quite intoxicated. My memory doesn't tell me much."

"So you were too drunk to even remember what you did to me?" I let out a shaky breath, and I could see it manifest before me in a thin cloud of mist, before dissolving into the crisp winter air. He blinked, and his smug grin disappeared with my breath.

"What exactly did I do?" He asked, with a bit of genuine concern. It caught me a bit off-guard, but I shook my head.

"You... you..." I couldn't manage to choke out the words. The embarrassment of having to explain was too much to overcome, so I ended up just stuttering. He walked up to me, and then his hand was caressing my jaw gently. I was shocked, but I could do nothing but look up at him with wide eyes and a gasp.

"You're crying." He said, wiping his thumb under my eye and smearing something warm and wet over my cheek. I quickly pulled away from his hand, wiping my eyes with the back of my wrist. He sighed.

"I think I can guess the nature of what I did to you." He said, returning his hand to his pocket. "I'm sorry for any damage I might have caused. My actions can get a bit... _rash_... when I'm drunk." He said. I looked up at him, not knowing whether to be mad or sad or what, but something about the way he spoke and how he showed authentic concern for my well being made me want to forgive him. Sort of.

"Yeah, no kidding." I looked back down at my feet and sniffled again, this time from the cold. After all, I was only wearing a t-shirt and an apron, and it was winter.

"Here." He said after watching me shiver for a bit as I searched for some sort of reaction. He removed his scarf, and neatly wrapped it around my neck, catching me so far off guard that I couldn't even process what he was doing.

"You'll catch a cold." He said, and popped his collar to replace where his scarf had been. He walked past me, and began walking back out of the alley. "I'll be back to the cafe tomorrow, return it to me then." He said. I watched him, flustered, as he exited the alleyway.

But as he turned the corner, he stopped. "You're pretty cute, by the way. My attraction to you wasn't just the alcohol talking." He said, and I blushed. He looked back, saw my expression, and gave a small smile.

"I'd have treated you better if I was sober." He said, before turning the corner and walking away.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Sasha whacked me over the head with a towel once I returned.

"Oww...! Geez, sorry!" I rubbed my neck, where the rough cloth had hit me the hardest. Sasha slapped the towel down on the counter, placed her free hand on her hip.

"You can't just walk out whenever you feel like it!" She scolded. "You have a job, Eren! A _responsibility_! You can't just run out on your responsibilities!" People were staring, watching with silent snickers as she mothered me. I had taken off the man's scarf and shoved it in the pocket of my apron, so as not to raise any questions, so I couldn't shove my hands in my pockets and avoid eye contact to shrug it off.

Instead, I looked up at her, and noticed that she had some bread crumbs on her cheek, right beside her mouth, and I snorted.

"What, you think this is funny?"

"No..." I snickered, brushing invisible crumbs off my own cheek as a gesture for her to do the same. She furrowed her brow in confusion, but then gasped, blushed, and frantically wiped her cheek until they were all gone. Sasha for the most part was a regular person, unlike the rest of my friends, besides her eating habit and considerable ditziness. She often took pastry breaks while no one was looking. She always paid for them, though, but she rarely ever paid attention to where her crumbs ended up.

"Shut up!" She said, flustered. "I called Pixis, and he said to send you home early. You have the day off. He said come back tomorrow ready to work, or don't come back at all." She told me once she had for the most part regained her composure.

"Really?" I was a bit relieved, since I got to go home, but I was also really concerned for my job. If I lost this, Armin would have my ass.

"Yes, really. Now go pack up and get some rest." She told me, and I nodded and headed for the store room to get my stuff. "You have less temper control than usual..." She added in a low mumble when she thought I was out of earshot. I frowned.

"Whatever." I mumbled, slamming the door behind me.


	5. Fate is a Dick

"A-ahh... Levi..."

His hands run all over my body, exploring every inch with a tender touch.

"It'll feel good, I promise." He assures me, kissing down my chest. I squirm, gripping tightly to the sheets and squeezing rose petals between my sweaty fingers. I'm so nervous, and so scared. But for some reason, I don't want it to stop.

"Ouch... i-it hurts..." I mumble into my shoulder, as he slides two fingers inside. I can't look him in the eye. I know if I do, if I see those gorgeous thin grey eyes just once, I'll lose control.

"It'll feel good. I promise." He repeats, smiling into my neck as he kisses and sucks on it lightly. He's leaving my throbbing erection unattended, and I can't stand it. I want him to touch me. I want him to make me feel good, like he's promised me so many times. But I can't muster up the courage to ask.

"Do you want me to touch you?" He asks, pumping his fingers in and out at an agonizingly slow pace. "Or do you want something else?" His voice is so smooth, so inviting. I wince, forcing myself to adjust to the strain, and give a small, shameful nod.

"Y-yes, Levi... please... I-I want you to..."

* * *

 

"Nnnnnnngfuckmeee..." I groan into a head of messy blonde hair, holding tightly to a pair of scrawny shoulders.

"Eren... you know I'm strictly bottom..." Armin mutters in response, and I can feel his lazy blush against my cheek. It takes me a second to realize what I'd said, but when I do, I'm screaming.

"OHMYGODARMINIMSOSORRYPLEASEIMSTRAIGHTIPROMISE." I choke out all at once, jumping back and hitting the wall with a rather loud _thud_. Armin groans drowsily and sits up, rubbing his eyes and yawning, holding the blankets against his chest in an adorably feminine way.

"Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind getting topped by you, Mr. Tall-Tan-and-Perfect, but I don't do penetrations." He says, like its a totally normal thing to say. A blush rests hot on my cheeks, and a boner even hotter in my pants.

"You're so weird!" I spit out quickly, sprinting to the bathroom to take care of my... _issue_... before Armin notices. Slamming the door behind me and panting heavily, I glance up at myself in the mirror. For just waking up, I don't look half bad, although I have heard that wet dreams release hormones that make a person more attractive.

Wet dreams.

I had a wet dream.

About... _him_.

Slamming the cold half of the faucet on, I splash the icy water on my face to get myself together, and to try and return to my senses. There's no way. With what he did to me? And to think I'd get that excited by it?

I glance down at my boner and frown. I'm gonna have to take care of this, aren't I?

I sigh and unzip my pants, aiming to quickly relieve myself and move on with my day. But instead, I end up standing there, staring out into space, holding my dick in my hand, resting the other against the bathroom door, unable to will myself to move.

I can't get the images out of my head. And they're really, _really_ hot.

No. They're not.

... Yes, they are. Bloody hell, they are. Ugh.

I give myself a short pump. Instead of imagining a blowjob from a pretty girl like I usually do, all I can think about is those beautiful thin grey eyes staring up at me, his paper thin lips caressing my length with gentle hunger.

Jesus Christ, what am I, a porn novelist?

Sorry Jesus. It was wrong to mention your name at a time like this.

I shake my head to dismiss unholy thoughts and masturbate with an empty mind, focusing solely on the feeling in my crotch. I can't afford to try and think of the pretty girl. Then _he_ might pop up again.

After washing my hands and exiting the bathroom, I flop back on the bed and dig through the pillows and sheets for my phone. Saturday. No work today.

"Thank God." I mumble, tossing my phone aside and standing to go raid the fridge. Armin stands at the counter, working his way through a bowl of Lucky Charms with a distant, empty look in his eyes.

"You okay, man?" I ask, grabbing a bowl and filling it with some charms for myself, dumping milk in after it. Armin sighs. "My deadline is approaching quickly and I've only managed to get half of the work done. Rico will be angry."

"That's your fault for slacking." I say through a mouthful of Lucky Charms. He sighs. "Yeah. I know."

"Are you gonna go into the office today?"

"Yeah... I guess I have to."

"Want me to drive you?"

"Yeah. I'm too lazy."

"Okay. What time should we leave?"

"Honestly?" Armin glances at the clock, narrowing his eyes and letting his mouth hang open lazily. "Like in ten minutes."

"Lovely." I sigh.

* * *

 

[Switching to past tense because I feel like it so deal with it]

* * *

 

After dropping Armin at work, I decided to head downtown to do some shopping. Yeah, yeah, what a gay way to spend my time. But Armin's been wanting me to buy this book his coworker edited, so I had to take a trip to the Chapters on Main Street.

Chapters was as quiet as cafes come. It was a coffee shop and a book store, so everyone inside was either reading or working. Meaning it was pleasantly quiet. And while I liked the loud, flashy party scene as much as I did, it was always nice to get a glimpse of the mellow, relaxed side of my town.

"Good afternoon, Eren." Petra Rall ran the store, and often worked the counter. She was a teacher of mine in elementary school, but her love of books inspired her to quit her low paying job at Trost Elementary and start Chapters. She was a kind woman, with soft auburn hair kept cut short in a bob, and golden caramel eyes that drooped in such a way that made her look even kinder. He nose sloped daintily to a point, and her skin was pale and fair. She was a beautiful woman, every boy in the grade had a crush on her at one point. Even Armin thought he did, before he realized he liked her personality more than her boobs.

"Afternoon, Miss Petra." I smiled at her, and walked up to the counter with my hands in my pockets. That day, I had slipped on a grayish-blue sweater and a pair of ripped blue skinny jeans, since I hadn't done laundry and the only other clothes I had were sweatpants and old ratty band t-shirts.

"What'll it be, sweetie?"

"I think I'll just take a brownie and a hot chocolate."

"Coming right up." She said, sliding open the door to the glass pastry case and pulling a brownie off of it's display plate with napkin. "Haven't seen you here in a while. How are you and Armin doing? You two are living together, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah. We're good. He's got a job as an editor now." I told her. Her eyes lit up, and it made my heart melt a little just seeing how proud she was.

"Oh, he has? That's great, tell him I said that I'm very proud. What are you up to?" She asked, sliding my brownie across the counter on a plate and turning around to start making my hot chocolate.

"Uhh, I'm actually working up at the Raven's Nest..." I said, a bit embarrassed that bar tending was all I'd managed to do in my life while Armin was on his way to a successful career.

"Oh, the Raven's Nest? I have a close friend who likes to go there." She said with a smile, mixing the creamy brown substance in the mug and reaching for the whipped cream. I smiled in return, thankful that she wasn't disappointed.

"Really? Who is she? I might've seen her around." I said, watching hungrily as she piled on the whipped cream, how she knew I liked it.

"Actually, it's a he." She smiled, sliding the steaming mug across the counter. "Although he's probably not someone you'd want to say hi to, he's a bit of a grumpy one." She laughed. I shrugged.

"Well if you're friends with him, he can't be that bad." I said, talking my mug and my brownie of the counter. She laughed. "Oh, you'd be surprised. He might be the most dislikable person on this planet."

"Then I'll keep my eye out." I said, taking my things to a booth in the corner. Little did I know that I'd be seeing this person very shortly, and that already knew him better that I would've liked to.

I had been reading the book Armin requested to pass the time when the bell at the door jingled and he entered. I was about halfway through my hot chocolate, and had completely finished my brownie, and was about three chapters into the book. I didn't look up, since I didn't know it was him, and my back was facing the door. I couldn't see him. But the cold that sliced through the warm interior as he opened the door should've been a sign, a sort of omen almost.

"Oh! Good afternoon, Levi!" Petra's voice saying his name made my blood run cold. It couldn't be. No way. Not here. I couldn't force myself to turn around and face him, I was too scared that y suspicions would be confirmed.

"Good for you, perhaps." When I heard his voice, mumbling grudgingly as the door closed again, I knew. I knew just how screwed I really was.

"Oh, hush." Petra laughed. My grip on my coffee mug tightened, as I silently prayed that she wouldn't point me out to him. Of course, because fate hates me with a burning passion, my prayers are blatantly ignored.

"Eren, this is the friend I was telling you about!" Petra called, and I could feel my face flush beet red. I took a deep breath, as well as a sip of my hot cocoa, and turned around with the most convincing smile I could muster.

"Uh, hi." I said, waving a little, and turning quickly back around. Of the short glimpse I caught of Levi, I saw that he was wearing the same peacoat as yesterday, this time without the scarf of course.

The scarf. Shit. I have the scarf.

"Silly, come over here!" Petra said. "I know he's intimidating, but you don't have to be shy." Shy isn't exactly the word I'd use to describe how I was feeling in that moment.

"Eren, I'd like to properly introduce you to Levi Ackerman, one of my closest friends." She said as I approached the two. Levi stared directly into my eyes, and I tried not to stare back. He wore a straight face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, and it upset me. But still, I forced a smile and held my hand out to him.

"Eren was one of my students when I was still teaching. He works at the Raven's Nest. I was just telling him how much you love to go there." She told him. I nodded as he took my hand and shook it firmly. I quickly recoiled my hand shortly after.

"Yeah, I've seen you around a few times." My voice was shaky. My hands were even worse. He nodded. "Yes, I believe you served me once or twice in the past." It's funny how both of us came to the conclusion that lying was necessary.

"Well, I'd better get going, then... Armin should be expecting me back soon." I lied, bowing my head slightly and pivoting on my heel to gather my things so I could go.

"Oh, Eren, was it...?" I froze as he called my name, mid-stride.

"Yes?" I said without turning around.

"You wouldn't happen to drive a red Chevrolet Camero, would you?"

I felt my right eye twitch. It was a used model I bought the year I got my license. Ran like shit at first, with a paint job to match, but I spent a whole year fixing it up to perfection. That car was literally my child. But how did he know it was mine?

"Uhh... why do you ask?"

"Because I saw it being towed off when I first pulled up." He said. Any blood that had thawed out by then froze right back up.

Are you there, God? It's me, Eren. Are you listening? Really listening? Because if you are, then you can _GO FUCK YOURSELF._

"Aww, shit!" I sprinted to the front window, pressing my face against the glass and looking to the empty spot where my car was parked. A yellow parking ticket was taped to the meter, and billowing in the slight breeze. My heart sank to my stomach.

"I hadn't been planning on staying so long..." I whimpered, letting my forehead slide down the glass as I slumped in defeat. I was originally just going to come in, buy the book, and leave, but forgot the minute I saw that brownie in the display case. I didn't think I needed to pay for a meter, since I was only going to be inside for a minute or two. Originally.

"Oh, sweetie... I'm sorry! I wish I could give you a ride, but the shop doesn't close until four." Petra said, and I sighed. It was a long walk home. It was like a twenty minute drive just to get here by car. And it was cold and windy. And I was only wearing a sweater and skinny jeans.

"It's fine, I can just call one of my friends or something..." I said, pulling out my phone. But wait, you guessed it!

Dead battery.

"Ugh, today is not my day..." I mumbled, slumping even further down the glass with a pained groan.

"Hmm, I wish there was some way I could help..." Petra muttered from behind me, and I turned to face her. Levi, obviously unconcerned with my situation, picked up his coffee and headed for the door. Then Petra's eyes lit up, and she grabbed his sleeve before he could get away.

"Levi, you have a car!" She said. Levi looked back at her, deadpan. "No I don't."

"Oh you, always the kidder." She said with a small chuckle. Levi scoffed. Petra shot him a short glare.

"Come on, why don't you take Eren home?" She smiled an angelic smile, and I shook my head vigorously, unable to speak from the shock of how cruelly unlucky I was.

"No. I just cleaned my car." He said bluntly. I narrowed my eyes at him. I mean, I didn't want to get in that car any more than he wanted me to, but that was just fucking rude.

Petra's grip tightened on his sleeve, and her angelic smile faded to a 'do what I say or you die' angelic smile. "Are you forgetting that favor you owe me?"

Levi's eyes widen slightly, but then he frowns and gives Petra a death glare, one that I was sure was internally melting her brain. But she was unfazed.

"Fine." He spat. It felt like someone stabbed me in the dick. He yanked his arm out of Petra's grasp and took long, quick strides towards the exit. I watched, on the brink of crying, as he opened the door, paused, and sent the same death glare to me.

"Come on. You need a ride, right?"

My head swiveled back and forth, from him and back to Petra. What was I supposed to do? If I said no, Petra would insist. If I still protested, she would want to know why. Of course, I couldn't possibly tell my second grade teacher that I didn't want to get in a small confined space with one of her closest friends because I was scared he would sexually assault me. But if I went with him, who knows what the hell would happen?

I wasn't paying attention. I was so concerned with debating what I should do, I didn't even realize that I was standing up. Gathering my things. Following him out the door and to his car. And sliding into the passenger seat, with an empty, distant look in my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long.
> 
> It's been like a month since the last time I posted.
> 
> *wink*
> 
> Get it? Cuz it's February now? No?
> 
> I'm sorry.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Eren's wet dream at the beginning. Tune in next time for hot car sex! (Just kidding :D)
> 
> No, there is no car sex in the next chapter. That'll come in later (ifyouknowwhatImean)
> 
> Anywhale, drop a review on your way out! I enjoy reading your guys's comments and all that jazz. Catch y'all next time.


	6. Baby, It's Cold Outside

"Oh my God I'm in your car." I realized, and said aloud, as Levi stepped into the driver's seat. He shut his door without looking at me. "Unfortunately." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys.

It was a silver car with a black interior, I processed that much. It smelled like pine needles, and from the logo on the steering wheel I could tell it was a Lexus. A coupe, since it had two doors. There was a backseat, but it was cramped. I didn't know much about Lexuses, but I knew enough to identify the make and model.

"You drive an RC 350?" I'll admit, I was impressed. RC 350's were _really_ nice cars. Whatever Levi had as a day job, he must've gotten paid a shit ton of money to afford this kind of car. It was weird, though, it was hard to find a version with a full black interior. Normally they'd have black framing the primary color of the seats and dash.

"Congratulations, you know how to read." He said sarcastically, probably assuming that I had snuck a peek at the logo on the back of the car on my way in, turning the car on. The sound it made when the engine revved gave me chills. It was like the low, confident growl of a beast worth showing off. I understood now why he was concerned with dirtying it.

"Wow..." I said quietly, listening to the engine rumble silently. I really wanted to get under the hood of that gem, but asking was out of the question. He didn't even want to let me inside his car. There was no way he would ever let me fiddle with the mechanics of it.

"Where do you live?" He asked, snapping me out of my subtle fanboying session. I blinked.

"Uhh, 4326 Agathy Lane." I told him. He scoffed. I noticed that he scoffed a lot.

"Do I look like a GPS to you?" He said, pulling out of his parking spot. I frowned.

"Do you know where Boatyard is?"

"No."

"Seriously?" Until then, I'd never met a person who'd never been to Boatyard, the local seafood restaurant directly outside of my neighborhood. "Then drive across the bridge and make a left at the stoplight." I told him. He sighed heavily, turning the car in the direction of the St. Matthew Bridge.

"Look, I don't want to be here any more than you want me to be." I told him, fastening my seatbelt and balancing my book on my thigh. "But the least you can do is not have a pissy attitude about it."

He kept his eyes on the road, silent. I stared at him for a while, waiting for a response, but faced forward again with a huff upon not receiving one.

I sighed and stared out the window for a while, but the silence was excruciatingly uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence where you want to say something but you know whoever is sharing the silence with you won't want to hear what you have to say. After a while my chest felt heavy and tight, and I realized I was controlling my breathing to keep from disturbing him. I was almost scared to swallow, in case I made some weird gulping noise. 

"Can I turn on some music?" I asked, taking the quietest deep breath I could manage. He didn't reply. I frowned at him, and reached for the radio.

And this motherfucker _swatted my hand away._

"Umm, excuse me?" I exclaimed, rubbing the red mark on the back of my hand.

"I don't remember giving you permission." He said, eyes focused on the road.

"I don't remember you not!" I retorted. He sighed.

"The answer is no, you cannot touch anything excluding the seat you are situated on and the floor on which your filthy feet are resting."

Jesus Christ this arrogant prick needed an ass kicking.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is your pathetic little Lexus too expensive for my grubby little peasant hands?" I sassed him, crossing my arms and leaning back in my seat.

"Most things would be." He mumbled in response. I scowled at him.

"Look here, dickwad." I spat. "I don't like your fucking attitude." I would've gone off on a rant, if he hadn't slammed on the brakes and his car hadn't lurched to a sudden, violent stop. I screamed a bit, gripping the edges of the seat and panting heavily to catch my breath as my heart pounded against the inside of my chest. Luckily, we were on a backroad, so there weren't any cars to honk at us for our sudden stop, but I couldn't help being concerned with it.

"Watch your mouth, brat." He snarled. "I will _not_ tolerate your repulsive language in my car." He spoke in a low, stern voice that, despite my being taller than him, made me feel smaller and weaker. 

"You're stupidity has already taken time out of my day, and I don't need your foul mouth clouding my car with filth." He finally turned to look at me, and his eyes were cold. Cruel, unforgiving. But beneath the layer of pure terror, I felt something igniting in me, burning. Anger. 

"Don't play victim." I mumbled, too scared to speak any louder. What right did he have to complain? After everything he did to me? And he was trying to pin _me_ as the bad guy?

"What?" He asked, stern toned.

"I said don't pretend like you're the victim in this situation!" I shouted. "In case you haven't noticed, I've been having the shittiest of shitty days!" The way he flinched at my profanity gave me more confidence. I continued.

"I'm on the edge of losing my job, all of my friends think I fucked an old man, and I'm too scared to leave my fucking house without mace, all because of you! Not to mention that my car's been towed and I've been graced with the company of the world's worst attitude! So don't you fucking dare act like you're the victim here!"

Even I was shocked at myself.

Levi stared at me. I stared back. Our faces were mere inches away. His beautiful thin grey eyes gazing into mine, surprised. And something in the back of my mind started screaming.

_KISS HIM._

_Oh my God, brain, what the fuck?!_

I dismissed the images of us making out as quickly as they had surfaced, and turned away from him to unbuckle my seat belt. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. I'll walk home from here." I said quietly, pulling my sleeves down over my hands and tucking Armin's book under my arm in preparation for the cold that would hit me like a smack in the face once I opened the door. And it did, but I grit my teeth and stood through it anyway.

But something tugged at my sleeve. "Wait. Get back in the car." To my surprise, I turned around to see that it was Levi's hand, firmly pinching the corner of the fabric. I quickly recoiled, startled, and whipped around to face him. "Wh-what...?"

"I said get in the car, brat. It's cold outside. You could get sick." He said, straight face. I blinked. Holy shit... dare I say he actually... _cared?_

"Uhh... okay...?" I said, skeptical, as I slowly lowered myself back into the front seat and closed the door. I buckled in, and we continued on.

We sat in silence the rest of the way back. Except for every now and then when I had to tell him to turn right or left, we said nothing to each other. I was relieved when we finally pulled up in front of my apartment.

I got out of the car with a small nod of thanks, and walked up the steps leading to the second floor, the door farthest to the left. And guess what?

It was locked.

_My house key was in my car._

I turned around quickly, the cold finally starting to seep through my sweater. Levi was still parked in the street. Was he waiting for me to get inside? Maybe he was sending a text or reading an email.

Whatever he was doing, I stared though the tinted window, filling my cheeks with air to keep myself from waving him down. Asking him to take me to wherever the hell it was they took towed cars. It was cold. I only had my sweater. It took all my strength to maintain my restraint.

"What's wrong?" Levi rolled down his window and leaned over the passenger seat to look at me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I'm locked out." I told him, loud enough for him to hear.

"You're joking."

"I wish." I said, my shoulders slumping.

"Don't you have a roommate?"

"He won't be back until one-thirty..."

Levi looked down at his wrist, and sighed. He rolled his window back up, and turned his car off. My heart started racing. He opened his car door, and stepped out. I watched, eyes wide, as he grudgingly walked up the stairs and stood in front of me on the small balcony-like space in front of my apartment, leaning against the wall and pulling out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting with you. What do you think?"

I stared. He stared back.

"Why?"

"It's 1:10.” He said. "I won't have to wait long."

"Yeah, but why?" I repeated.

"Because I care enough." He told me, and I couldn't help but blush. He'd taken me by surprise, that was for sure. Of all the reasons he could have given me, I was most certainly not expecting the possibility that he could _actually_ care.

I stared at him for a while longer, but then I gave up and let myself fall backwards, allowing my back to hit the door and slide down until I was sitting propped up against it. Levi sat beside me, on the wall.

I pulled my legs up to my chest and buried my face in my knees, exhaling to watch my breath manifest before me in a puff. I could feel myself shivering, but I didn't want to complain about it. He might give me his coat or something. He had already given me his scarf.

His... scarf...

"Your scarf..." I choked out, with a small voice crack. I blushed beet red directly following, and kept speaking so he wouldn't hang on the embarrassment. "I-it's inside. I'll get it for you before you leave." I told him.

"I'm guessing you forgot my request, then?" He replied. I blinked, thought, and shook my head. "No... you requested something?" I mumbled, searching my brain for some sort of request. I mean, he'd made plenty of demands in the short time I'd known him. But no requests.

"I asked you to bring it to me this morning, at the Raven's Nest." He clarified. Then I remembered.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry. I forgot that I don't work on Saturdays." I said, scratching my temple with a small nervous smile. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a small side glance.

"You were working last Saturday." He said.

"I switched shifts." I told him. Wait. "How did you know that?"

"I saw you. How else?"

"Right." I nodded, rubbing my arms to warm them up and not knowing what else to say. I'd been waiting for him to insult me again, to point out a grammar mistake or a stupid remark. But he didn't even seem mad when I swore, and it made me a bit more relaxed, but more anxious as well.

"Are you cold?" He asked me. I shook my head, shivering. "No. I'm fine." I lied. I didn't want his help, but he gave it anyway.

In the gayest way possible.

He pulled me closer, and wrapped me in his peacoat. It was so warm, I wouldn't have had a problem with it if he weren't still wearing it.

"H-hold up...!" I tried squirming free, but he was strong. He'd wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, and was resting his head back on the wall. My cheeks flushed red hot, and my mind spun in circles. All I could focus on was the feeling of his defined muscles pressing through his shirt into my back, and the fact that there was _nothing but cloth separating my ass from his dick._

"Calm down. I just don't want you to get sick." He said calmly, like it was no big deal. "And I'm not taking my coat off either, so just deal with it." He said. I couldn't see him, my back was against his chest. He was so warm. I wanted so badly to lean into him, to close my eyes and just let him hold me. God, what was wrong with me?

"Why?" I mumbled, squeezing my eyes shut and letting my shoulders slump.

"Because I care enough." He repeated.

"Why do you care?" I turned around, craned my neck so I could look him in the eyes. Our faces were almost touching now, there wasn't much room to pull my head further back. I could feel the lightness of his heated breath on my cheeks, feel his hair brushing against my forehead as it billowed slightly in the draft. He stared at me for a while. But he never got the chance to respond. I'll never know what he would have said, since the sound of a car pulling up snapped us out of the sappy shoujo scene we'd somehow found ourselves trapped in.

"Thanks again!" Armin's voice said, shortly followed by the sounds of a car door slamming shut. I panicked, and threw myself backwards and out of Levi's arms with a short cry of distress. He must have been caught off guard, and his arms were already releasing my slightly, so I ended up using way more force than I'd originally thought I would need. I flew back into the banister, hitting it with a loud crash and a pained cry.

"Eren...?" Armin's voice called with concern, and the sound of him racing up the stairs echoed in the quiet winter atmosphere. 

"Eren, god!" Armin was next to me now, shaking my shoulders. "Jeez, what happened to you?" I groaned, clutching my side in pain as Armin flipped me over onto my back.

"He fell." Levi said. Armin looked up at Levi then, noticing him for the first time. I could see his confused expression through my squinted eyes, but I couldn't see Levi.

"Uhh, who are you?" Armin asked, forgetting about me. I could tell from the small sparkle in his eyes that he was checking him out. It wasn't every day Armin found himself in the presence of such a man. No doubt he was gonna go for it. 

"My name is Levi. I'm, uh..." He thought for a bit. "An acquaintance. Of Eren's." My heart skipped a beat. I think that was the first time he'd ever said my name. It sounded so natural rolling of his tongue. The way his beautiful voice shaped the syllables, how his lips framed the word so delicately... how he... how he...

"GAHHH!" I cried out, flailing my legs and whipping back over onto my stomach to bury my face in my hands. What the hell was I thinking? Again with the porn novelizations! This was ridiculous! I didn't even know I was _capable_ of thinking like that!

"Eren!" Armin leaned over me, and no doubt he was making a point to stick his butt out in Levi's direction. He looked back up at Levi, who was standing up now. "What happened to him?"

"His car got towed. He left his phone and his keys in it, so I gave him a ride home. He slipped and fell. I don't actually know what that was just now, though." Levi explained. I groaned. Armin gasped.

"Eren, you idiot! How did you manage to get your car towed?" Armin scolded, whapping me on the shoulder. I groaned again, scrunching up into a ball of shame to avoid making eye contact. "Long storyyyy..." I whined into my hands. Armin sighed.

"Well, you're lucky this _generous_ man-" I snorted, "-was _kind_ enough-" I snorted again, "-to give you a ride!" Armin ignored my snorting and stood to hold his hand out to Levi.

"I apologize for his stupidity. He's kind of an air head sometimes." I could almost hear Armin's charm switch flipping on. "I'm Armin, Eren's roommate. I'm sorry if he caused you any trouble." I glared up at him as he smiled kindly and batted his eyelashes. Levi looked him up and down, and shook his hand with a small smile of his own.

"No, not at all." He lied. Or at least I assume he was lying. I glared at him next. Armin laughed. 

"Please, you don't have to be polite. I know how he can get, so don't try to tell me he was a little angel the whole way home." He said. Levi looked down at me, saw my flustered expression, and smirked.

"I assure you, it was my pleasure." He said, sliding his hands back into his pockets and turning to walk away. 


	7. Levi and the Lady-Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot a note last chapter, didn't I? Huh. Oh, well. Enjoy. I'll post a note at the end of this one.

I got my car back the next day. Armin drove me there, I filled out some forms, payed a fine, and we drove home separately. Levi left before I could get his scarf. I don't know why, he didn't seem like the type to forget things so easily. Did he leave it on purpose?

I wondered this all week, during which time I only caught short glimpses of him. Leaving the cafe as I arrived, arriving as I left. He didn't seem to have a set time he liked to visit the cafe, so I couldn't anticipate whether he would be there or not.

I don't know why I wanted him to be, though. He'd grown on me, I guess. It was like any memory of what he had done wrong to me had been replaced by every moment of that day, when he was kind. When he cared. And I thought about it so much, I created this... this illusion in my mind of this man who cared for me, but didn't want to show it. I thought he wanted me. But my mind refused to let me accept that I wanted him too, convinced me that this one one-sided. It was painfully ironic how wrong I was.

The next time I had a noteworthy interaction with him was the next Friday night party at The Nest. Funny, right? How it all came back to that.

Since I had switched shifts, I was actually able to enjoy the party. Being the first to get the scoop on Krista's newfound love for the lady parts shot me straight back up to the top. Gossip works like that, for whatever reason. I was the party king once again, and I was loving it. I had girls on my arms, beer in my hands, and an alcohol-induced blush on my cheeks. I was laughing, singing, groping, living the dream. But in the back of my mind, there was one thing I just couldn't stop thinking.

_Where was he?_

Every now and then I'd glance around the room, searching for his ravenette head of hair, the gleam of his thin grey eyes catching the light of the disco ball. But it took about half of the party, three Taylor Swift songs, and eight bottles of beer until I finally spotted him.

I wasn't actually looking for him. I'd stopped looking at about bottle number five, but after belting a Katy Perry song, I turned towards the bar to go order a ninth when I saw him.

Leaning against the bar on his elbows, arms folded, ankles crossed, head down. A shot glass sat in front of him, and a brunette woman shouting and laughing beside him. She shoved his shoulder, he gave her a small nod of acknowledgement. I watched. Was she... his date?

A pang of jealously made me wobble a bit in my path, and I looked around. All the friends I had been with were continuing their dance circle without me, paying no attention in their drunken flurry. Nobody was focused in me, after all, I officially belonged again.

I stumbled up to the bar and flagged down Connie, who now had the night shift. He smiled and held up a finger to me. "Hold up, one sec!" He said, pulling on of the levers on the beer dispenser to fill a glass cup to the brim.

As I waited for him, I watched Levi and the woman closely. Levi had looked up now, and was watching with a blank expression as the woman told a story with large hand gestures and a lot of hefty laughter. I could barely see the faintest of blushes on his pale cheeks, but it was obvious he was drunk. His eyes kept drifting, fading in and out of focus. Yet he kept listening, or tried his best to do so.

"Whadaya want?" I quickly turned back to Connie as I heard his voice.

"Another." I demanded, smiling at him drunkenly.

"Another of what?"

"Whatever it was I had before. I dun fuckin' know, man." I slurred. He laughed. "Be right back, man." He said, turning to go get whatever it was I had and before. I kept watching Levi and the woman.

Just in time to see the brunette woman lean over, grab the back of Levi's head, and pull him in for a sloppy, drunken kiss. My jaw dropped.

The small strand of curiosity lingering in my mind quickly wove itself into a giant ball of knotted jealousy. I watched with wide, envious eyes as the woman pulled away with a laugh, and Levi wiped his mouth and rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his beer. What was with that reaction? Were they close? Were they dating? Were they... were they _married_?

No way. No way could that have possibly been a real kiss. If they were... if they were a thing, then what was I supposed to think about everything he'd done to me?

"One Sam Adams, extra bubbly!" I saw Connie grin out of the corner of my eye, sliding a drink across the counter. The chilled glass hit the back of my hand, and I felt some of the foam drip onto my wrist. The feeling of the cool bubbles fizzling out into liquid on my skin snapped me out of my thoughts, and I wrapped my hand firmly around the base of the glass.

"I don't know why you hate bar tending the parties so much, this is a blast! I'm gettin' chicks, seein' everybody drunk... Eren? Oi, Eren...!" I heard Connie speaking, but I wasn't processing anything he was saying. I was walking away, towards Levi and his mysterious lady-friend. Because that was such a good idea. Lord knows I make stupid decisions when I'm drunk. I should've made a plan. No, I should've just left them alone. But no, I had to intervene.

I looked the woman up and down as I made my approach. She looked no more than twenty something, with her messy brunette hair pulled up into the kind of effortless ponytail that shouldn't look good, but still does. Her glasses were stylish and chunky, with rectangular frames and arms that tucked back into her hair. She had a nice, defined jaw shape, but she wasn't that pretty. And her shoulders were a bit broad, but her thinnish brown eyes were well placed and gave her a sort of alluring air. I deducted that it wouldn't be too weird, so I walked up to the small sliver of empty space beside her, opposite side of Levi, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"'Scuse me, miss, but you look kind of lost." I said as she turned my way. She looked me up and down, and raised an eyebrow.

"Umm, no, why?" She snorted. I gave my most charming smile.

"Well, heaven's a long way from here, isn't it?" I said. She laughed and turned to Levi, but I couldn't hear what she said to him. He gave her a small nod, but all the while he was glaring at me suspiciously. Or, wait... was that...

_Jealousy?_

No way.

"You're cute." The woman said, turning back to me. "How old are you?"

"Does it matter?" I replied. She shrugged. "Some would say."

"I'm Eren. Twenty-two." I held out my hand, and she shook it. "Hanji. 29."

"Is that too much of a gap?" I asked.

"Yeah, just a bit." She nodded with a smile.

"Well then at least let me buy you a drink," I said, shooting a smirk over her shoulder at Levi. "Doesn't look like this guy is treating you like he should." I cocked my chin up towards him, and he scoffed and rolled his eyes, looking the other way.

"Oh, he's not." She said, shooting him a small smile. "Hasn't even asked me to dance yet."

I gasped dramatically, acting shocked. "How rude of you! You're sitting right next to this lovely lady, and you haven't even asked her to dance?" I scolded, not able to hide my smile at the sight of his irritated expression.

"Hanji, this guy-" he began, but Hanji cut him off. "Is extremely charming and I don't want you to scare him off yet." She said. Levi sighed with a huff, taking another swig of his beer. I concluded, officially, that they weren't a couple. So what was that kiss earlier?

I needed to find out just how much he cared about this chick.

"You think I'm charming?" I smiled. I could feel myself drifting from reason. I knew I was going to do something stupid, something I'd regret. I knew, but I was too drunk to realize that I could stop it.

"I think you're amusingly charming." She said. My grip tightened around my cup a bit, and I lifted it to my mouth slowly, keeping my eyes on her.

"Well it's better than nothing." I said after swallowing. She nodded. But in my head, everything was moving in slow motion. When she spoke, her voice was slurred and I could hear the small cracks that I hadn't noticed before. When she smiled, her eyelids lagged as she blinked and her teeth shone white in the harsh lights of the party. And it felt like it took an eternity to tip my glass to the side, and an eternity for the bubbly auburn liquid to finally make contact with her dress. And the second it did, time began moving at its regular speed again.

"Whoops." I said with a smirk. "My bad."

She stared at me, as if unsure of what just happened. I smirked, high on the thrill of my actions, and looked to Levi. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open in shock. I'd never seen him so expressive. Some people around us were gasping, whispering. Some were snickering. I was the Party King, they didn't care how much of a dick I was.

Hanji took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She removed her glasses, used a dry corner of her dress to wipe off the small drops of beer that had dripped onto her lenses, and replaced them on the bridge of her nose.

"Well, that was unfortunate." She murmured breathily. "I was starting to like you, too." She stood and lifted the hem of her mid-thigh-length navy blue dress, a halter top with a goldish-silverish beaded neckline, to asses the damage.

I suppressed a snicker and looked back to Levi. I expected anger, shock, sympathy, confusion. But to my surprise, it didn't look like he was feeling any of these. It looked like...

It looked like he was _laughing_.

He was hunched over his beer, face buried in his hand, shaking a bit. I could just barely hear the . I blinked, and stared at him. Laughing? That wasn't like him at all. Was he laughing at her? No, no he was laughing like he _knew_ something. He was laughing the kind of laugh where he's on the upside of dramatic irony, when he knows something others don't.

Before I could even start to wonder what it was, before something hard and filled with angst collided with my cheek.

I didn't fall over. I didn't even stumble backwards, but the punch was still hard enough to make my vision blurry and my thoughts even more jumbled than they already were. I just stood there, leaning against the bar, staring off into space, eyes wide with shock. I could feel the aftershock of her hit radiating in my skin.

"If you're going to be so two-faced, you can at least make one of them pretty." Hanji spat, stepping around me to march - _dignity intact_ \- into the women's bathroom. I, along with the small crowd we had gathered, watched as she blew through the door unscathed. The crowd gave a wave of whispers and giggles, but quickly returned to what they'd been doing before. Not many on the bar side of the party knew me, so not many wanted to gossip about me.

But I was still staring into space, dazed, focusing on the searing pain in my jaw, and something warm and wet dripping down my cheek bone. She'd hit me hard. If the bar wasn't there for me to fall back on, I probably would've hit the floor. Now that would've gotten people talking.

Suddenly, in my confusion and shock, something grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the bathroom. I would have protested, but I couldn't force my brain to function properly for the life of me.

When I hit the bathroom floor, I knew that when I looked up, Levi would be standing above me. But I didn't want to look up, I wanted to stay down where I was, to lay still long enough to sort out what had just happened.

"What the... what the hell is wrong with you?" Levi spoke strangely, his words slurring together and his sentence broken by a bubble in his throat. I looked up, and his mouth was twisted into a smile, but in a way that looked like he was trying his hardest not to. I was confused, I'd never seen him smile (not decently, at least) before. Or laugh. It was off-setting. I couldn't respond.

"She's... She's a friggin' monster... you don't mess with... with..." He snickered. "With Hanji Zoe..."

"Are you okay...?" I asked cautiously, standing with my hands in front of me in case he, like, toppled over or attacked me or something. His bubbliness was making me a bit scared.

"Umm..." He thought about it, and then laughed. "I think so..." His laughter faltered, and his focus drifted, before he snorted and doubled over to laugh some more. And you can bet I was fucking terrified.

"How drunk are you...?" I asked, and he took a breath and stood to look at me, arms still folded over his stomach. But when he met my eyes, his smile faded. His eyes fell down from mine to my mouth, and his own hung slightly ajar.

"Drunk enough..." He began, "to really wanna fuck you right now..." A smile curled on his lips and his eyes drifted down to my chest, and then below my waist. I felt my breathing catch, and my heart skip a beat.

"Okay, yeah, I'm gonna leave now..." Whatever part of my brain that was still sober took the wheel, and I headed for the door, but he grabbed my shirt and pulled me back in front of him.

"No, no..." His eyes were conflicted. "I'm supposed to be... I was gonna scold you for dumping beer on her..." He said, but his eyes were on my mouth. He walked forward, and I backward. I wondered if we were far enough from the wall to be able to escape before he pinned me against it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I said it twice. "I'll go apologize to her now..." He held me firmly in place as I tried to duck under his arm.

"No." He cut me off sternly. "No, I wanna know why." He slowed, and stopped. I took a quick glance at the stalls, but they were all empty.

"Why...?"

"Why you dumped it on her..." He breathed, pulling closer. He reeked of alcohol, but the rosy smell from last time we met was still barely there.

"Umm..." Obviously, I didn't want to answer that question. "Accident...?"

"Buuuuulllshhhiiiiiiiit." He said, putting an emphasis on the 't.' I looked away.

"Why do you care, anyway?

"Because she's my friend." Friend, he said. Not girlfriend. Or wife. I smiled a bit. But quickly hid it behind my hand.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter and footsteps drew near the door to the bathroom. I panicked, realizing that Levi was pinning me against the wall by now, and dragged him into the handicap stall.

"Nono, I'll be right out, man. Don't fuck anybody 'till I get back, haha." The voice said, and my blood ran cold as I recognized it.

Jean fucking Kirschtein.

I slapped my hand over Levi's mouth. The bathrooms at The Nest were fancy, since it was a club owned by a rich man, so the stalls were the kind that were actual doors with actual walls in between each stall. Still, I huddled with Levi in the corner, afraid that Jean might glance through the shutters on the door and see us. Levi was breathing heavily into my hand and snuggling himself into my arms, ans it made me want to scream. But I knew I couldn't, so I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed that he would leave quickly so I could get the hell out.

Jean's phone rang after a minute or two, as he was taking a piss. He answered it. "Hello?"

I listened closely. Who knows, maybe I could've overheard some other sort of juicy gossip. Levi shirted in my arms, so he could wrap his arms around me and bury his face in my chest. I squeezed my eyes even tighter to keep from shoving him the hell off of me.

"Hey, man, what's up? ... Wow, word travels fast... Yeah... I didn't see it, no... I haven't seen him at all tonight... really? I just heard it was some random chick... she was _his_ arm candy all along? Wow, that sucks. I almost feel bad for him, imagine what rumors will be floating around now... yeah... yeah, totally... no, I talked to him... no, not him, I talked to Eren." My face fell. He was talking about me. Suddenly all the pieces of his conversation fit together, he was talking about how Hanji punched me, and how Hanji had come in with Levi.

And what rumors would spread.

Rumors that would ruin me.

"Yeah, no, I just told him to watch his back." Jean continued. "I mean, he may be my rival of sorts, but I can't help having some respect for the guy. He's still a cocky bastard, but I'm not spreading any rumors. He deserves a lot of shit, but nothing this bad..." _Wow, Jean. I can't tell whether that was an insult or a compliment._ I thought, listening to the sound of his fly zipping.

"I gotta go, man. Got some hot ones waitin' out on the bar for me." The door opened and closed, and Jean's voice faded into the noise of the party. I shivered.

"Eww, man." I mumbled to myself. "Wash your fuckin' hands, for God's sake." Levi moaned and shifted further into my chest. I tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was in vain. I should have known by then that he was stronger than me, but I tried anyway.

"Levi..." I grunted, trying to pry his fingers from my shirt. "Let go..."

"Nnnnnnnno..." He groaned in response.

"Levi... get off of me!"

"Nnnn, dun wanna..."

"You have to get back out there and make sure your date is okay...!"

"She'ssszz nnnott my datteee..."

"Well you two shared a pretty intimate kiss earlier," I grumbled, not actually meaning to say it out loud. I didn't realize that I had until Levi looked up at me curiously, and then smiled.

"Ohhh, I ssseeee..." He hiccupped. I blinked, temporarily pausing my struggling to look back down at him. "You see what?"

"Youz saw her kissss me eaaarrrlierrr, and you were jellussssssss...." He giggled, pinching my cheek. I swatted his hand away with an annoyed frown.

"No, that's stupid. I wasn't jealous."

"Yoooouuuu were jellyyyyy, isn't that what you stupid teeeenagersss say these dayss...? Eheh..."

"I'm twenty-two. I'm not a teenager."

"You're twenty-twooo...?" He narrowed sagging eyes at me. I gave an exasperated sigh and nodded. "Yes. I'm twenty-two."

"Thenn... that makes it leeegall... if I... if I fffuuuck you, right...?" He said with a small chuckle. I blushed a bit, and continued trying to pry his hands off.

"Okay, yeah, technically yes but I'm not gonna let you...! Damnit, let go!" I kept telling him to let go, but my mind was spinning in circles. Maybe I did want him to. Maybe I was drunk enough to let him, since last time felt so good.

It felt... so good... didn't it? Yeah, it did...

"You don't haaaave to let me..." He said, pulling himself up to level his eyes with mine. How many times had our heads been this close? How many times had I pushed him away, told myself that I didn't want to?

Maybe I did want to.

"You might have to..." I breathed, silently, as if I were speaking more to myself than him. "You might have to convince me... maybe I'll let you..." I mumbled, looking down at his lips, hanging open slightly as he stared down at mine. He kissed me then, and I think that's about the time I lost any smidgen of reason I had left.

We kissed for a while, bodies rocking gently against each other, sucking hungrily at each other's mouths and jaws and necks, gradually undoing buttons and zippers when we could, until I grew wary of the fact that someone could easily walk on and wonder about the strange noises coming from the handicap stall.

"Take me home..." I panted, framing his jaw firmly with my hands to pull his mouth from mine so I could speak. He smiled and kissed me deeply, pulling back as I gave a small moan.

"With pleasure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've disappointed you with my lack of sex scenes. And I know I've disappointed you, cutting it off here. I tried to fit it in, I promise. But it just didn't seem... ehhhh right, yknow? But Next chapter I WILL CONTINUE THIS. As sort of like a little interlude. Like an extra. Afterwards, we'll pick up the story. 
> 
> Anywhore, I hope you enjoyed!! I kind of bullshitted most of this, and got a little lazy on the editing, but hey I got my point across. Eheh. Ugh. 
> 
> I'll catch you guys next time, hopefullyyyy. Drop a review on your way out if you enjoyed! And if you didn't, suck it up. Just kidding. Criticisms are welcome too! It would help a lot, I know I have to be doing something wrong... heh.


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